Date of birth: 07.03.62
Home town: Carlisle
Nickname: One Dart

The PDC's pantomime villain, Manley is a three-time world finalist but is yet to take the final step and lift the trophy.

Runner-up to Phil Taylor in 1999, 2002 and 2006, the Cumbrian heads to the Alexandra Palace admitting his form this year has been "in and out" - and well aware an early exit could see him plummet down the rankings.

The PDC's Order of Merit runs on a continuous two-year cycle so Manley's efforts in 2006 will be wiped out of the calculations at the end of this tournament, putting his place in the elite top 16 in jeopardy.

Nicknamed 'One Dart' on account of his usually clinical finishing, Manley was world No 1 after winning the 2003 Las Vegas Desert Classic but is probably more well known for some of the more controversial incidents in his career.

The most recent high-profile incident came in last year's Ladbrokes.com World Championship when he took exception to opponent Wynand Havenga's tendency of taking his time retrieving his darts from the board.